Can't Keep Us Down
by DaNgErOuS DrEaMeR
Summary: Eleven years ago, a band know as the School of Rock, influenced many with their music. They were a hit sensation. Yet, as they say, what goes up; must come down. See where they are now...


Chapter One

Attack of Memories

They were a sensation that swept the nation teaching and impacting through rock and roll. Once you combine talented ten-year-olds and a rocker as their mentor you got musical fusion that no one could resist. The trials and tribulations they had gone through were astounding, yet they always came out on top. Life couldn't have gotten any better for the band. Sadly, as the saying explains, what goes up must come down…

At the age of twenty-one, I sat there lazily in my reclining chair, wearing a striped robe. It was the same robe I had been wearing for the past week, but I didn't care. There was a lot these days that I didn't care about. The thick blinds covered the windows, denying access to the sunlight, who wanted to come into the room. The messy apartment of mine was concealed in darkness, just the way I liked it. Sighing, my hand groped the table in search for the remote control for the television set. Instead of staring at the TV in the dark I might as well be watching something slightly productive.

Once pressing the on button of the remote control the bright light emitted by the television entered the room. Instantly my eyes shut as I winced at the burning sensation I felt. A picture of a familiar group of kids appeared on the screen as I had to blink a couple of times for my eyes to adjust. A smile made its way onto my face. We looked so young, and so innocent. It must have been a really old picture.

"To the surprised of everyone the child band was a success. The band School or Rock was in demand," explained the announcer as pictures of his childhood friends and him began to slideshow on the monitor. "Today we'll be seeing everything, from the innocents of their middle school years to the violence and scandals they got into as young adults. First, we'll be looking at the lead guitarist of this amazing band."

"Hey, look it's me!" I shouted to no one in particular as a younger version of me appeared on the screen. I chuckled seeing how scrawny I was and how short my hair was. It was kind of…scary.

"Yeah, but you were soooo much cuter then!" a very familiar female voice responded from behind me. Suddenly the blinds flew up as rays of sunlight filtered into the room. "Ewe, Zack, this place is filthy! When's the last time you cleaned…when's the last time you showered or changed out of that robe?" It took a while for my eyes to readjust, but when they did I wasn't disappointed by the sight I saw. It was a young lady with raven hair and a clipboard in her arms. "I don't want to know."

"It's nice to see you too, Summer," I responded as she held a disgusted look on her face as she looked around my apartment. "What are you doing here? The last I saw you was…high school graduation…wow, it's been a long time."

"I heard you were stuck in a rut, but I didn't think it was this back." As she paced the room Summer had to step over a few empty beer bottles on the ground. "Get dressed. We don't have a lot of time." I just looked at her with a stubborn expression. The girl waltzes into MY apartment after three years and starts ordering me around. No way am I going anywhere with her without an explanation.

"What do you want?" Actually he wanted to know how she got in. He suspected that besides her physical changes she was still the same persuasive Summer. She was the girl that persuaded the bus driver to pick up Dewey and drive them to Battle of the Bands. Also my roommates were suckers for hot women and probably granted her access to their dorm.

"I was thinking one night…what if the band got back together?" A mischievous smile appeared on the young woman's face as I raised an eyebrow, challenging. "Not as a reunion or anything, but to create musical fusion again." Sighing I stood and made my way towards the small kitchen as a way of evasion. As she followed me I knew Summer wouldn't be giving up that easily. "Think about it, Zack. Leave the past in the past. Look at how you're living. Instead of sitting in the dark all isolated we could be all together again."

"Has anyone else agreed to this?" I didn't mean for it, but my voice sounded quite cold. I knew if I even thought about it just a little bit the School of Rock door would let out all those memories I don't want to remember. It was a door I locked a long time ago and I wasn't ready to open.

"You mean Katie and Freddy…" I refused to answer her. She opened up a whole new can of worms mentioning the two of them. Since I didn't reply she continued to talk. "I haven't spoken to them yet. You were first on my list…Come on, Zack, when we were younger I always went along with your sudden urge of retardation…even though those were the stupidest moments of my life…You've got to admit we had fun as the School of Rock…Please, just come with me…"

By now, I droned out the sound of her voice as I remembered a quaint little moment the three of us shared in middle school…a moment that started it all…

It was raining that day, I remembered. We were taking a break in the middle of practice and I ran to the kitchen for a soda or something. All throughout the day I couldn't help, but stare at her as she played her bass. She played with such intensity and poise that I was just entranced by the beautiful brunette. I was fourteen-years-old and head over heals for Katie Brown.

It was no secret either. Probably the only person that didn't know about my thing for Katie was…Katie. It scared me because I wasn't the greatest looking guy in the band and I admit it. Ever since the band hit it big time Freddy has had a number of the hottest girls in school flocking over him. However, Freddy had been encouraging me to ask her out for months now, though I've been too much of a chicken to actually carry out any plans.

"Hey Zack," she greeted, before digging through the refrigerator. "Jeez, all Dewey's got in here is liquor and Coke." She sighed, liking neither.

"I prefer the coke," Zack said, smiling, as Katie laughed. Slamming the door of the refrigerator close Katie pushed her up to sit on the counter and ran her fingers through her hair. I loved the smell of her hair as the scent of strawberries filled my nostrils.

"Zack," she called my name, bringing me out of the dazed state I entered. "Have you ever had feelings about someone and you couldn't stop thinking about them? Like for a long time now the two of you had been best friends, felt the chemistry, and now…you have feelings that are just…a little…more than friends. Where you want to tell them how you feel, but…you're afraid of their reaction."

Zack's face lit up as she asked her question. "I absolutely know how you feel…And you're afraid that if the relationship goes wrong than you're friendship would be totally screwed."

"Exactly," Katie agreed. "What should I do?"

"Well, in my opinion you should go right up to him and show him how you feel. I mean, if you don't tell him then you'll have this bothering you all the time. Just get it over with; you don't know, he might like you too." By now I wore a huge grin to match her smile.

"Thanks Zack, you're sweet." Katie smiled as a certain spike haired blonde boy entered the kitchen twiddling a drumstick in his hand. "Hey," he greeted searching through the cabinets. I saw something I didn't want to see. It was slightly more than obvious who she was talking about seeing the smile on her face.

It was a grin of delight that had been pinned onto her face. There was a twinkle in her eyes and I wasn't the center of her attention. A clueless Freddy Jones grabbed an unopened bag of chips from the cabinet before heading back to the room they practiced in. "Wish me luck," she muttered before heading after him. I didn't say anything though, because I didn't want her to succeed. Of course, I wanted her to be happy, but liking Freddy would just hurt her. Freddy was my friends and he knew I was into Katie. He would never try anything knowing I had "more than friendly feelings" for her.

I found a soft and comforting hand on my shoulder. "Personally, I don't think band mates should date each other. What if they break up or something and like stop talking to each other? That could seriously hurt the band." Apparently Summer hadn't heard of my feelings towards Katie. "Don't worry, Zack, Freddy wouldn't do that to you or Katie."

"Thanks Tinkerbelle."

"Whatever Zack Attack…What are you doing here sitting like a lazy lovesick puppy? Get back in there and practice!" She had a smile on her face that matched that of mine. "Let's get rockin'!" I shouted and headed back over to my guitar; ignoring the sight of Katie trying to flirt with a still dense Freddy.

Sadly…that was middle school and I was more than naïve. At the time I never knew that that was only the beginning of a very long and intense conflict…

Anyways, in reality, I was as stubborn as a mule and it just brought satisfaction to my little heart to see Tinkerbelle all frustrated and fired up. After a cry of aggravation she disappeared into one of the room. Pulling open the refrigerator door I searched for a beer. Sadly all that was lying on the rack was an expired carton of milk and an apple with a bite taken out of it. My roommates must have drunk it all at last night's party. They were such idiots and had no taste in music or food, but the parties were the best.

Then I heard the worst strumming of my life. The sound was like nails on a chalkboard or fighting cats. Annoyed by the horrendous sound I had to find the source and undoubtedly there stood Summer Hathaway with an electric guitar in her hands. She was acting like a rock star holding the guitar as if she knew what she was doing. "Stop it!"

"Take that robe off, shower, change and we'll be on our way…or else…" She strummed the guitar once more, not knowing what she was doing.

"Just…put…the...guitar…down." Nodding, she placed my precious baby down onto its stand. Watching her abuse it really did hurt.

"Okay, get out of my room. I'm going…" I sighed as she grinned and walked into the living room. Once there Summer squealed with triumph. Looking down at her clipboard there was a paper attached to it with positions of band members listened down it. Smiling toothily she crossed out guitarist.

"Next on the biography of the School of Rock we'll go over the scandals these rockers have found themselves in," announced the television that grabbed Summer's attention. "Especially the love triangles between-" Summer reached over and turned the television off as it reported on a memory none of them wanted to remember. Shaking off the worst memory of her life and career Summer turned her attention back onto the clipboard. Next on her list…was the drummer.


End file.
